A three—component competing—rick model for animal mortality is presented, in which the additive hazards include a new model, dominant during the prematurity period; a constant hazard, dominant during the period of maturity; and the conventional Gompertz hazard, dominant during senescence. A good fit of the model is obtained to survival data for a variety of species, with both laboratory and field data being represented. Interpretation of the model parameters in terms of animal adjustment to hazards is offered.

Surgical ventricular restoration improves ventricular function and is highly effective therapy in the treatment of ischemic cardiomyopathy with excellent five-year outcome.

No abstract

We prove theoretically that a nonlinear fuzzy controller is a nonfuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller with proportional gain, integral constant, and derivative constant changing with error, rate change of error, and rate change of error rate about a setpoint of a process. The nonlinear fuzzy controller consists of the following parts:1. The linear defuzzificat ion algorithm 2. The linear fuzzy control rules 3. Zadeh's AND and OR fuzzy logics for evaluating the fuzzy control rules The nonlinear defuzzification algorithmThe nonlinear fuzzy controller is a linear fuzzy controller which is precisely equivalent to a nonfuzzy PID controller if the linear defuzzification algorithm is used instead of the nonlinear one listed above.

Congestive heart failure may be caused by late left ventricular (LV) dilation following anterior infarction. Early reperfusion prevents transmural necrosis, and makes the infarcted segment akinetic rather than dyskinetic. Surgical ventricular restoration (SVR) reduces LV volume and creates a more elliptical chamber by excluding scar in either akinetic or dyskinetic segments. The international RESTORE group applied SVR in a registry of 1198 post-infarction patients between 1998 and 2003. Early and late outcomes were examined and risk factors identified.Concomitant procedures included coronary artery bypass grafting in 95%, mitral valve repair in 22%, and mitral valve replacement in 1%. Overall 30-day mortality after SVR was 5.3% (8.7% with mitral repair vs. 4.0% without repair, p < .001) Perioperative mechanical support was uncommon (< 9%). Global systolic function improved postoperatively, as ejection fraction increased from 29.6 +/- 11.0% to 39.5 +/- 12.3% (p < .001) and left ventricular end systolic volume index decreased from 80.4 +/- 51.4 ml/m(2) to 56.6 +/- 34.3 ml/m(2) (p < .001). Overall 5-year survival was 68.6 +/- 2.8%, Logistic regression analysis identified EF < or = 30%, LVESVI > o = 80 ml/m(2), advanced NYHA functional class, and age > or =75 years as risk factors for death. Five-year freedom from hospital readmission for CHF was 78%. Preoperatively, 67% of patients were class III or IV, and postoperatively 85% were class I or II.SVR improves ventricular function and is highly effective therapy in the treatment of ischemic cardiomyopathy with excellent 5-year outcome.